‘The Walking Dead’ Exec Talks Scenes That May Appear In The Show From The Comic

Whenever something gets adapted into a TV show or movie, fans are often the harshest critics. They want to see things translated in the exact same way from the page to the screen. But as we all know, adaptations don’t seem to ever turn out that way. A prime example is ‘The Walking Dead.’ But its showrunner Glen Mazzara recently spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about some of the most iconic scenes from Robert Kirkman’s best-selling comic book series that are making their way onto AMC.

There are some moments in the comic that are integral to the formation of the Governor’s character. Back when I had a chance to interview David Morrissey at New York Comic Con, I asked about the crazy acts done by or to his character in the comics, but he didn’t really give a straight answer as to what we would and wouldn’t see. Now THR asked Mazzara specifically about five standout “WTF?!” moments from ‘The Walking Dead’ comic books. Read on to find out what he says and if we’ll see them or not.

Fair warning: If you haven’t read the comics yet, there are major spoilers coming for both the television show and the comic books.

The Governor Cuts Off Rick’s Hand

“We’re going to take our time telling that story line and the events of the comic you can see are already diverging with the series with the idea that Andrea and Michonne are the ones who find the helicopter crash and go in and are welcomed in Woodbury. Everything is game; there are a lot of powerful scenes from Robert’s book and anything we use organically fits into the story were telling.”

The Governor Rapes Michonne

“Right now, the Governor and Michonne are just getting to know each other. They obviously already hate each other and she doesn’t trust him. That’s a long-running animosity that we intend to get a lot of story out of. Those things are plausible within our universe but we have to earn them.”

The Governor’s Gladiator Arenas

“That’s something that I think people can look forward to this season. I’d hope people would think it’s an exciting scene. I won’t give away who could be in there but it could be anybody.”

Michonne Gets Revenge On The Governor

“Right now she has no reason to do any of these things since she just met the guy. Let’s go down the path and watch this relationship develop and give her a reason to have such a hatred and vendetta. We’re just getting started. The Governor-Michonne arc is a long story and we want to take our time and do it right and not burn through it and get it over with too quickly. We love these characters and hope they’re around for a long time.”

Lori Dies During The Governor’s Attack On The Prison

“As of now, the Governor doesn’t even know the prison exists. The story of the season is him and Rick learning about each other and marching toward war. That Lori event happens during his attack and we still have a lot of story to tell. We have had conversations about whether every character should survive the season. I think Lori is looking for redemption and now that Rick has finally gotten to what he considers a safe place for her to have the baby, they need to enter into the next chapter of their life. I think Lori is looking for redemption; I don’t think anybody is looking to punish her.”

As we all saw in last night’s episode titled ‘Killer Within’, Lori’s death went down a lot differently in the show than it did in the comics, but it was still an intense “WTF?!” moment. I’d even go as far to say that it was in the same vein as the death in the book in terms of impact on the reader and on the characters affected. I know my jaw was dropped when it happened and, as a fan of the comics as well, I didn’t mind at all when the TV show changed it up a bit.

And now I’m sad…

What do you think about Glen Mazzara’s revelations about the Governor? Are you excited to see just how each thing plays out? And what do you think about the changes from the comics? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Ben Silverio

Ben F. Silverio received a degree from Drexel University in the Screenwriting and Playwriting Program with a minor in Television Production. While at Drexel, Ben co-founded and co-hosted a film review show called The Pretentious Film Majors, which has evolved into a multi-format form of entertainment including blogs, podcasts on iTunes, articles in the school paper, and a potential tv show. Now armed with an extremely expensive piece of paper, Ben can begin climbing the treacherous ladder of the entertainment industry, which he hopes to do while streaming WWE wrestling matches, reading Marvel comics, and blogging about the excessive amount of movies and tv shows that he watches, all on the iPhone that is permanently attached to his hand.